Do you puzzle over participles, argue over agreement, or moan over proper punctuation? This back-to-basics overview of the mechanics of English grammar spells out what you need to know to make a great impression when communicating in school, in life, online, and on the job. It includes chapters on Parts of Speech (don't get tripped up by tenses, possessive pronouns, or adverbs), Grammar (construct phrases and clauses, fix fragments, and maintain subject-verb agreement), Spelling and Pronunciation (avoid embarrassing gaffes and typos), Punctuation (never misuse another apostrophe), Clear Usage (steer clear of clichés), and Pitfalls and Confusions (from affect and effect to your and you're).